Province announces new Neepawa hospital, renovations at Dauphin Regional Health Centre

People living in southwestern Manitoba communities will have access to more health services closer to home once a new hospital in Neepawa and renovations to the Dauphin Regional Health Centre are finished.

The provincial government announced it will build a new hospital in Neepawa, tentatively scheduled to be finished in 2025. A location for the new hospital has yet to be announced.

Replacing the existing Neepawa Health Centre, the new facility will increase the number of acute care inpatients from 35 to 60. It will also feature an expanded emergency department and more space for programs such as for surgery, diagnostics, palliative care, dialysis and chemotherapy.

It's expected to cost at least $127 million.

Renovations on the Dauphin Regional Health Centre will increase inpatient capacity and add more space for endoscopies and surgeries at the site.

The $5-million renovations will create room for up to 300 more endoscopies per year, and free up space in operating rooms at the health centre.

Those renovations are expected to be complete by 2023.

The new Neepawa hospital and the renovations at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre are part of the Manitoba government's plans to spend $812 million to build, expand and renovate health-care facilities across the province.

The money, previously announced in this year's provincial budget, is being divided among 38 projects to shorten wait times, improve access and reduce the need for people to travel to Brandon or Winnipeg for health care.